My debut novel “It Can’t Be You” started with “The man was dead.” I then went on to develop the opening scene where a body is found. At that stage those who find the body do not know whether the man was killed or killed himself. Many who read the book have commented that it set the tone for what became an absorbing psychological thriller. Continue reading “About Great Starts and Editors”
Tag: writing tips
I remember the time I was editing my second thriller ” Lucky For Some, Thirteen” before it was sent off to the publishers. Each time I went through the manuscript, I would find either an error or a clear opportunity to make the sentence “sound” better. That’s when I decided to “proof speak” rather than proof read.
This blog post in Ballpoint.com tells you why it’s a smart thing to proof speak your work. I found it very useful. The biggest gain is a better understanding of how it would sound to the reader.
Most description should come through dialogue but there are times when you need to find the right words to express the feelings of your characters as seen by others. I came across this list from author Kimberly T. Matthews. Your choice of the right word makes a big difference in your description. Kimberly’ s list should prompt you, as it did me, to add-on to our vocabularies. If we don’t, we could end up using the same old words all the time, novel after novel.
The best way to improve your writing is to actively seek ways of improving it and put them into practice. I believe proof speaking and using the right word to depict expressions are useful tips to any writer.
KG4JVFNS7DZN I came across this useful checklist for writers by Maria Zainab. Many of the points seem obvious but we are guilty of ignoring them in our zeal to pound out more stuff for our readers. Thank you, Maria for this comprehensive list. It will act as an effective reminder for me as I am sure it will for many others.
So you want to be a fiction writer? Congratulations but so do a million others. All of them don’t make the grade. It is easy to get carried away with the images of huge success. Everyone dreams of churning out best-sellers that feature on the New York Times, getting that incredible advance that make eyes pop out and wallowing in luxury as you write from your exclusive writer’s den in some exotic place. Continue reading “Writing Fiction Is Hard Work!”
It was a toss-up between writing and a writer. One part of me wanted to write about P.G.Wodehouse, my favourite author. Another urged me to write about an old passion which is now a central part of my life, writing! Continue reading “W for Writing”
At a recent book reading, someone asked me “How did you manage to keep track of all the characters in your novel over many years? Was there any particular method you used?”. The short answer is meticulous notes on ages, events, and so on. Make sure you get it all right. You can’t have someone be aged 35 in a particular year and be shown as being 45 a few years earlier somewhere else in the novel !! Continue reading “God is in the Details”
I am quickly finding out that writing is a fascinating subject and an equally fascinating business! There is so much to learn. As a relatively new author, I have found Daily Writing Tips to be an excellent site.
I have an ace up my sleeve. Now that I am back in the saddle, I want to go back to the drawing board and work on the case of mistaken identity. I am willing to spend countless hours to give a down to earth description of what’s going on in the area with an ear to the ground! You get the idea, I am sure. I have used a long list of clichés!
If you are stuck while writing and don’t how how to get ahead, take a break and look at these wonderful quotes- which give insight and inspiration for you to get back to that writing with a new energy! Online College has put together this interesting collection of 101 tips– really words of wisdom.
